Bring Your Own data for Geostatistical evaluation - an advanced course for geostatistics

Bring Your Own data for Geostatistical evaluation

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

This course allows participants to analyse their own data
using theGeostokos Toolkit
under supervision.

The course is aimed at geologists, mining engineers,
surveyors, biologists, agriculturalists, statisticians, environmentalists and
any other professionals dealing with the estimation from or interpolation
between samples collected on a spatial basis.

Recent courses have attracted participants with applications varying from
sea-bird protection zones, river pollution, pests in orange groves to more
traditional(?) applications such as groundwater hydrology
and geological resource estimation.

A basic level of knowledge of statistical and geostatistical methods is assumed. For example, previous
participants in
'Zero to Kriging' will find this
course eminently appealing. No mathematical expertise is necessary to carry
out the analysis. All techniques are illustrated by exercises covering many
different applications.

Questions and discussions are actively encouraged and,
indeed, form the basis of a successful course. Participants should, if
possible, bring their own data for independent study.

Basic computer skills and a familiarity with PC Windows
systems are an advantage but not essential.

Participants may take away copies of all software and data
sets.

COURSE OUTLINE

Flexible!

All sessions include a mixture of
formal lecture, general discussion and hands on computer analysis. The
timetable is flexible and is always adjusted to reflect the interests of the
class participants.

Day 1, morning:

Introduction to Geostokos Software,
Tutorial exercises on statistical and geostatistical analysis using the data
sets from Practical Geostatistics 2000.

Day 1, afternoon:

Consideration of statistical
distribution and its contribution to interpretation of sample data;
identification of multiple components and likely indicator discriminators;
lognormal and other distributions.

Isobel Clark has taught, researched and consulted in the
field of geostatistics for almost 30 years. Possibly best known as the author
of the introductory text "Practical Geostatistics" (1979), she is
now co-author of a more complete textbook, Practical Geostatistics 2000
which is available as hypertext on CD and as a hardcopy
book. Software and data sets are available to all.

Short courses and seminars are offered on a regular
basis and, to date, have been hosted by companies and educational
institutions on four continents. Dr. Clark lectured for 11 years at the Royal
School of Mines, Imperial College, London, at the University of the Witwatersrand
in Johannesburg for 9 years and was Visiting
Professor at Camborne School of Mines for 2 years.

In between these academic engagements, she acts as
Managing Director and senior partner of Geostokos (Ecosse) Limited, an international
consultancy company based in Central Scotland.

Her recent consultancy assignments range from the evaluation
of tantalite deposits in Mozambique to the study of protected sea-birds in the UK.

Geostatistics is the name given to a particular group of techniques
which model spatial processes and allow
estimation of values at unsampled locations. Geostatistical estimation
is a two stage process:

i. studying the gathered data to
establish the predictability of values from place to place in the study area;

ii. values at those locations which
have not been sampled. This process "is known as 'kriging'.

In mining, geostatistics "is extensively
used in the field of reserve valuation - the estimation of grades and
other parameters from a relatively small set of borehole or other samples.

Geostatistics is now widely used in many other fields.
Obviously there are geological and geographical
applications. However, the techniques are also used
in such diverse fields as hydrology, ground water and air pollution, soil
science and agriculture, forestry, epidemiology, management of wildlife and
weather prediction.